It’s commonly accepted that it’s best to have northerly aspect in Australia but this doesn’t mean that all the best properties face north! Yes, a northerly aspect means the garden will flourish but if the house or apartment hasn’t been designed to take advantage of the aspect, any benefits will be lost.
Does the right aspect make a property worth more?
One if my pet hates is when agents advertise a property as being “north facing” when it’s actually the front of the house that faces north. For the aspect to add value to a property, the garden and living areas ideally need to face north or north-east. What this northerly aspect gives is sunlight in the garden in winter and maximum natural light into the home (dependent on windows being in the right position).
It’s pretty hard to quantify how much a good aspect is worth. Certainly more buyers would be interested in a home with a abundant natural light, so you can expect competition to be fiercer for these properties and in an auction market, this would translate into higher prices being paid. The issue gets complicated, however, if you are looking at properties with views. For instance, many of Sydney’s best harbour views come with a southerly aspect.
And if you’ve found a property and don’t want to overpay, we can help – click here for a quote.
What is the best aspect for a house?
The ideal aspect for a house largely depends on its design and location. While a northerly aspect is often favored in Australia for its ability to promote garden growth and maximize natural light, the key lies in how well the property has been designed to leverage this aspect. For instance, houses or apartments with living areas and gardens facing north or northeast tend to benefit most from ample sunlight throughout the day, enhancing both livability and potential resale value. Even with other aspects, however, the thoughtful integration of northern light into the property’s layout can enhance its desirability and value.
Aspect affects apartments and houses differently.
With a freestanding house you should have windows on all 4 sides, so you could expect to have lots of avenues for natural light to enter the house. With a semi-detached house, ideally you want to be on the northern side, so all the windows get loads of light and the garden would face either east or west.
In an apartment it’s ideal to have the living room windows face north. If an apartment only has windows on one side then the aspect is even more crucial than if it has windows on two or three sides.
Investors should consider aspect and its potential to impact vacancy periods and resale value.
Anything that affects how desirable a property is to live in will ultimately have an impact on the length of tenancy (conversely, periods of vacancy eat into yield) and the rent people are prepared to pay. As said above, buyers tend to be more competitive when it comes to a property with a good aspect, so capital growth is assisted by this also.
At the end of the day, tenants don’t like dark houses or apartments any more than owner occupiers. They may take a lease on a dark home if vacancy rates are low and they are having trouble finding a rental, but they will vacate as soon as their lease ends and they find something better.
Further reading:
DISCLAIMER: Good Deeds buyers tips are intended to be of a general nature. Please contact us for advice that is specific to your individual circ*mstances. You may also need to get advice from other professionals such as an accountant, mortgage broker, financial planner or solicitor.
